By noon of the second day, the old man’s hand has stopped
cramping, and he passes on the news to the fish. He now feels
more encouraged than ever that he will master his adversary and
intends to say ten Our Fathers and ten Hail Marys, in order to be
helped in his mission. When he is successful, he promises to make
a pilgrimage to the Virgin de Cobre.

Although the fish has not showed signs of tiring, Santiago knows that
he is fatigued. It is proof to him that in many ways man is inferior to
animals, who are more noble and strong. In his tiredness, Santiago’s mind
begins to wander. He says his prayers mechanically and thinks of baseball.
He tells himself that if DiMaggio can play with a painful bone spur in
his heel, he can surely go on fishing in spite of his pains. He tries
to imagine DiMaggio in his place and wonders if the baseball player could
have done as well. Magnanimously, he declares that since DiMaggio is young
and strong and is a fisherman’s son, he would have done even better. Santiago
then has an uneasy thought that is a foreshadowing. It is all very well
to be a magnificent fish until the sharks come. Then only God can show
mercy.

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As the sun starts to set, Santiago remembers an arm wrestling
match he had in a tavern at Casablanca with a Negro from
Cienfuegos; he was considered the strongest man on the docks.
People had placed heavy bets on them, and both were determined
to win. The contest went on for more than twenty-four hours, and
blood started oozing from both his and the Negro’s fingernails.
When onlookers asked for a draw, Santiago had refused. He finally
won the match, by drawing upon his hidden reserve of physical
strength and mental will power. As a result of the victory, he was
nicknamed El Campeon, the Champion, and he remained
undefeated in several subsequent matches. Santiago finally gave up
the game because he realized that it was bad for his right hand and
consequently for fishing.

Notes

Flashbacks are very important to this section of the book. It is as if
Santiago’s memories sustain and strengthen the old man in his
fight against the fish. When he thinks about Manolin, he actually
sees his own image as a younger and stronger man. The
recollection of the Negro episode serves to inspire Santiago
further, remembering that he has been called a champion, like
DiMaggio, who always is a source of inspiration to him. He also
often recalls the lions on the African beach; they inspire him as
symbols of majestic strength.

This section of the novel is also very important because it contains
the actual theme of the novel put in succinct words. Talking of the fish,
Santiago thinks that "I will show him what a man can do and what
a man endures." Perseverance in action, determination, the nobility
of human effort, patience, and endurance are the cornerstones of Hemingway’s
philosophy of grace under pressure.